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Avasonus
Introduction The Avasonus are a subrace of Avasuun, but have grown so far apart from their cousins that there are almost no remaining cultural ties. The superiority of the Avasonus in fact to most of the bloodline, and it would be best to not openly state otherwise in their presence. Physical Appearance Slender in build, the Avasonus stand shorter than the races of men and the Varena, but are slightly taller than their Avasuun cousins. The Avasonus are “blessed” with blond, white, or red hair, which the females keep long, and most have light blue or green eyes, but violet eyes appear occasionally. They have the characteristic ears of elves, but their ears do not reach as high as the Varena’s or Avasuun’s. The Avasonus are long lived, but still reach their prime at about age twenty. Most Avas remain in peak physical condition for about one hundred and fifty years, and then age slowly until they pass away, usually before their fourth century elapses. Personalities The Avasonus believe that they are better than all the other races, and while are generally polite about it, are not afraid to inform you of this fact if you annoy them. They tend to follow Ortus, as they believe he favors them as a significant portion of their race chose to follow his prophets onto the ships during the cataclysm, more so than any other race. Culture In Avasonus society, children are regarded as gifts bestowed by Ortus, and are taught to read and write from an early age. Children do not attend schools, but rather their parents hire a tutor, who may have two or three other pupils, and he or she oversees their education. Many Avasonus learn how to play instruments or paint, and all learn how to fight, but many emerge from adolescence without having learned skills such as how to cook or start a fire. In order to remedy this, the Avasonus are trained for a year on how to survive in the real world and then sent away for two years to survive on their own. They may only return if they have made money in their time away, through mostly respectable means of course. Many will then continue onto university or take an apprenticeship with a highly skilled craftsman in the Avasonus community. It is entirely against the nature of an Avas to attempt to procreate with an other race, and no child has ever been produced through such a coupling. Some branches of the Avasonus tend to be quite liberal when it comes to relationships, firmly believing it is no one elses business who you choose to share your life with. Courting is initiated by either the male or female, and from there, various couples are allowed to take their own paths. Avas never marry in any traditional sense, but rather set rules on the relationship, with each individual honor bound to oblige them. There is no obligation to find a partner, and it is not unusual to find a partner of the same gender. However, more conservative branches of the family are known to arrange marriages between members, trying to keep bloodlines pure. Almost all Avas can trace their ancestry to each other, so the term “Cousin” is sometimes used to refer to another Avas. Most Avasonus live dual lives, serving as both soldiers and scholars. Only a few great business minds come from the new generations of Avasonus, but numerous great Avasonus scientists and philosophers fill the pages of history. The Avasonus are adept tinkerers and inventors, but are second to the gnomes in that field. Journalists, writers, and poets come from the ranks, but few lawyers are seen, as one must be proud of their honesty. Many elderly Avasonus transcribe their life stories from their excellent memories, and grand libraries are found in many Avasonus villas. The only constant in all romantic relationships is a code of honor that requires, when possible, that all couples to go into battle together, with the exception granted to mothers of infants. Avas are renowned in battle as great skirmishers and tacticians, but their graceful figures are not the best at holding large shields or being thrown into the meat grinder. But, when performing duties that they are skilled at, they are truly fearless. Swordsmanship is valued among both genders, and fencing matches are common, but dueling is high frowned upon as frivolous. Many Avasonus families live in large cities. They are thrilled by life in the city, and see cities as the cradle of civilization. Romantic partners live together if they have children, but may keep separate homes with their families if they can afford to. After an Avasonus returns from The Journey, he is expected to pay rent, and no mature Avasonus receives free room and board. Unskilled labor is not the most desirable profession for an Avasonus, but if it means not asking for charity, they will buck down and do it in order to maintain their pride and their independence. Religion Most Avasonus choose to worship Ortus. While their reason for this is usually unclear, as is the logic for most of their traditions, I can assure you that they are certain of how sound their logic is. The Avasonus that worship Ortus tend to be more liberal, and their more conservative members follow Soteir. Worship is a strong word for their belief system. It is more like a silent nod that the their chosen god exists.